Tuck-pointing is a process that involves the replacement of mortar that is positioned between bricks or stones. Stones and bricks have a long lifespan compared to the mortar that is located at the joints between adjacent stones and bricks. The mortar is typically damaged due to the natural weather exposure over a period of time.
The tuck-pointing process involves removing the exposed portion of the damaged mortar (e.g., removal of about 1 inch of old mortar from the gaps between the bricks), usually with a power grinding tool that fits between the adjacent bricks or stones. Once the damaged mortar has been removed, new mortar is manually placed between the adjacent bricks or stones with a tool that forces the mortar into those gaps to create a joint. The tools typically include various sizes of knives that are dimensioned to fit within the gaps. They also include shapes to allow for a smooth curvature for the mortar joint.
One problem associated with tuck pointing is the placement of the new mortar in the vertical gaps between adjacent side-by-side bricks. Because bricks are stacked in layers, the horizontal gaps are continuous and can be easily filled with mortar to create long, continuous mortar joints between adjacent rows of bricks. However, because the vertical gaps are staggered, there is only a small length to each vertical gap. In the normal course of operation, the operator picks up a portion of the mortar with a mortar knife and forces it into the vertical gap. But, it is often difficult to gather enough mortar on the knife to permit adequate filling of the vertical gap, thereby requiring multiple iterations of placement of the mortar into the vertical gap by the knife to completely create the vertical mortar joint.
To address this problem, one tool that has been developed is a mortar or grout bag, which is similar in functionality to a pastry bag. The mortar bag is filled with mortar and the operator manually squeezes the bag to force the mortar out of the tip and into the vertical gap and create the joint. However, because of the high density of the mortar, it often takes a large amount of manual force to force the mortar from the tip. Considering that hundreds of vertical gaps require a new mortar joint on a typical wall, the operator's arms can become fatigued from the repeated squeezing and clinching associated with the operation of the mortar bag. Furthermore, because the force behind the mortar as it exits the mortar bag is less than the manual force from a typical knife that pushes the mortar between a horizontal gap, the operator often needs to go back over the freshly applied mortar in the vertical gap with a knife to finish the vertical mortar joint.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved tuck-pointing tool that can assist the operator with inserting mortar into the vertical gaps between adjacent bricks and stones.